Discretion

by Karina Halle

I liked the descriptive tones and measures used by the author throughout this book. And I applaud the author for and her ability to totally absorb me into the world that she has created but I cannot 100% say that I was in love with the story.
Olivier Dumont has a secret although you wouldn’t exactly know it most of the time has the capacity to weigh heavily on his soul at times, he has spent a decade secure in the knowledge that it was only a matter of time before the events of his past would make its presence known. But until that time he refuses to give in to the underlying uncertainty and lives his life as best pleases, relishing in his reputation. But when he meets Sadie Reynolds, everything was going to change, and he had a lot of thinking to do about just what that impact would mean.
Sadie has recently separated from her partner and is navigating her way across Europe – a trip that should have been a happy one as she and her now ex, experienced the culture and sights of the continent at its best but that has been spun on its head and now sees her embracing it as a solo venture but when she meets Olivier, all rational consideration is omitted and she quickly becomes swept away but everything Dumont…after all Olivier and his family take a lot to get your head around, they are far from ordinary.
This had everything I have come to expect from the author with regards to her writing style but the whole secret bit just left me puzzled. I was confused as to the emphasis placed on it as I didn’t believe it was warranted and felt a little cheated once it was revealed. A tad over-egged, in my opinion, I am sorry to say.
BUT and it is a big but, this was actually the main issue I had, Sadie was a nice character and she worked well with the intensity that was Olivier, she almost pacified everything that was so highly strung about him. I would have liked him to have had a little more “alpha” going on and couldn’t help but sneak the odd shake of the head at my screen as his apathy at time floored me…come on man grow a pair!!
There was a great secondary cast of characters in the story that I have no doubt will make for some sensational books in the series, they have very colourful lives!
As the first book in a series I might not have loved every page, but I will read the next book, so it wasn’t all bad!